Metal body



6, 19 0- A. J. FISHER ET AL 2210.533

' un'm. BODY Original Filed June 21,- 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet l I flank baer. 4 /1485 A. FISHER AL AI- BODY Original Filed June #1, I955 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 I W- 1940- I A; J. FIsHR ETAL k 2.210533 METAL BODY Original Filodd'unu zl, 1935f 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 532222)? 004585. m IW .A fl- 1940- A. J. FISHER l-rr 2.210.533

METAL BODY Original Fillet} June 21, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 A, J. FISHER ET AL 2.210.533

mam. BODY Original Filed June 21, 1935 16 She ets-Sheet s Aug. 6, 1940. A. J. FISHER El AL IBTAL Bong Original Filed June 21, 1935 16.Sheets-Sheet 7 flan/e Callie:

I A. J, FISHER ETAL 2.210.533

METAL BODY Original Filed June 21, 1935 is sheets-sheet a dlflted -519Mb; fair/fa Edie/k8 $122212 Comes.

Aug. 6, 1940.

A. J. FISHER El AL METAL BODY Original Filod June 21, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 wan/e C'aai'es;

Aug. 6,1940. A.J. FISHER: arm. 2.210.533

METAL BODY Original Filld June 21, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet 1O W- 6, 1940- A. J. FISHER :r AL. 2.210.533 I METAL BODY Original Filed June 21. 1935 16- Sheets-Sheet l1 602m: YPe/zbeizzli Emu/a ('aaies.

A g 1940- A. J. FISHER ET AL 2.210.533

' Mam. 'BODY Original F1106 June 21, 1935 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 V V wank Co/zies.

Aug. 6, 1940. A. q. FI'ISHER n m. 2,210,533

1mm. BODY Original Filed June 21-, 1935 '15 Sheets-Sheet l3 Aug. 6, 1940- A. J. FISHER ET AL 2.2 0.533

mam. BODY Original Filed June 21, 1935 IQSheets-Shaet 14 mad gals-m, 62mm fleifiein & warn e omes.

Aug. 6, 1940. A. J. FISHER ET N.

METAL BODY Original Filed June 21, 1935 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 1 v i dlfial} 55M, form: Zefibeizui wank Gonias.

Patented Aug. 6, 1940 PATENT OFFICE METAL BODY Alfred J. Fisher, coin-ad Rehbein, aha Frank Coates, Detroit, Mich, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1935. Serial No. 27,626 Renewed November 1'1, 1937 1': Claims. (01. zoo- 28) I A.

we believe, has not yet beenequalled in simplicity,

strength and esthetic appeal. The outer shell stampings arelaid out to permit the use of suitable tools in pressing and stamping of the panels and then joining of the panels in subassemblies in welding jigs. The sub-assemblies and panels are Joined in final assemblies in a set-up buck with welds of minimum length. This makes welding by gas feasible and economical in large production. To this end, one very large top panel ex- 7 tends partway down the windshield post where it joins the front subassembly by very short weld lines. This top panel extends down the rear of the body to the trunk rear deck-opening or rear window opening, where it joins the side panels by relatively short weld .lines which may be gas welds. In many of the body models no separate rear panels are required outside of a narrow strip or skirt below the rear compartment opening- It is recognized that metal tops are not broadly new. Numerous forms of metal tops have been proposed in the anterior art, but so far as we are 3;; aware, most if not all of these, have merely been set over the windshield posts and side posts with a conspicuous joint with the side panels and the rear panel. Or, they have been in the form of metal inset or patch panels. These inset pan- 5 els have ordinarily been designed with depending "flanges or depressed edge portions 'to be spot welded to turned down flanges or depressed edge portions on the roof. This makes a very long weld and theseam must be either covered by an 4o unsightly rubber molding or other form of'fill molding or else the joint must be filled with solder and then trimmed and rubbed down to a flush relation with the surrounding panels. This is an expensive operation both in labor and material.

45 This long seam may very easily produce fractures in the solder by reason of twisting and weaving or the body. 7 It is the object of the present invention to provide a sheet metal panel lay-out with a solid nonjointed roof and a considerable portion of the back. The several panels can be integrated to-' gether by suitable and economical welding operations to produce a unit outer shell that adds 5" strength and beauty to the and which results in an actual saving over the body shells and roofs heretofore in common use.

In the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the body showing the major subassemblles.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the completed body.

Fig; 3 is a cross section through the windshield header.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the respective lines of Fig. 2.

Fig.6 is a perspective of the frame assembly of the front subassembly.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-4 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the weld of the windshield frame to the legs or lower pillar sections of the windshield pillar.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the lower corner of the dash and sill flanges of the truss between dash and windshield pillars.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the shell of the front 20 subassembly.

Fig. 11 is the detail in perspective of the lower corner of the dash and cowl looking from the inside.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line |2|2 of Fig. 10. 25

Fig. 13' is a section showing the side and top (cowl panel stampings flash welded together.

7 Fig. 14 is a perspective of one major subassembly, to wit: the front subassembly.

Fig. 15 is a detail in perspective of the reiriforcing ties in the windshield header channel designated b in Fig; 14. v

Fig. 16 is a section on the line l6-I8 of Fig. 14. Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective of the joint between the roof rail and the windshield header shown at c in Fig. 14. v

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary perspective of the left hand windshield pillar looking from the inside.

Figs. 19 and 20 are sections on the corresponding section lines of Fig. 18.

Fig. 21 is a cross section through the center of the windshield header showing in dotted lines the top panel.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the parts at the cowl and dash corner showing the toe board support.

Fig. 23 is a section on the line 23-23 of Fig. 22 showing the toe board support. i Fig. 24 is an elevational detail atthe rear post at the wheel housing designated d in Fig. 29.

V Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the under subassembly.

Figs. 26 and 27 are sections on the corresponding section lines of Fig. 25.

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary elevational view looking down upon the top of the rear post anchoring bracket shown at a. in Fig. 25.

Fig. 29 is an inside elevational view of the body adjacent the rear seat.

Fig. 30 is 'avdetail, partly in section, showing how the roof channel rail and its wooden core are connected with the windshield frame.

Fig. 31 is an enlarged detail perspective of the center pillar (from the inside) and its anchorage to the roof. 7 I

Fig. 32 is a cross section through the roof rail and the side of the roof.

Fig. 33 is an inside detail perspective of the center pillar and joining parts.

Fig. 34 is a vertical cross section taken through the lower end of the center pillar.

Fig. 35 is a sectional view taken on line 35- 35 of Fig. 2. p

Fig. 36 is a detail perspective of the rear compartment partition looking from the right at the part marked e in Fig. 25.

Fig. 37 is a section taken on the corresponding line of Fig. 25.

Fig. 38 is a fragment of the rear cross bar and the floor of the rear compartment as at o in Fig. 25.

Fig. 39 is an inside elevational View of the top of. the rear post anchored to the roof rail.

Fig. 40 is a detail of one of the clamping nuts, such as t in Fig. 39. f I

Fig. 41 is a detail perspective of the anchorage of the rear compartment partition to the wheel housing as at the point I in Fig. 29. Y

Figs. 42 and 43 are sectional details through the completed body on a vertical section line through the rear window.

Fig. 44 is a section through the cross bow as at the location 9 Fig. 29, for instance.

Fig. 45 is an inside fragmentary elevation of the rear window.

Fig. 46 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner in the shelf above the'rear seat-at the point It in Fig. 29.

Figs. 47 and 48 are sections on the'corresponding section lines of. Fig. 24.

Fig. 49 is a perspective showing the invention applied to a sedan body with a rear compartment as distinguished from a built-in trunk. The view is taken before the weld scar has been ground oh" and finished.

Fig. 50 is a similar View showing the invention applied to a coupe.

Fig. 51 is a similar view showing the invention applied to a sedan with neither trunk nor rear compartment.

Referring to the exploded view, Fig. 1, it will be seen that the metal body is made up of a plurality of subassemblies and panels, the front 'subassembly A, the under subassembly B, the

side'panels C, the center post D and threshold strip G and the top panel E.

Cowl and pillarcwer subassembly. (minor subassembly) Referring to Figure 10, the front shell subassembly (minor subassembly) will be seen. This comprises the following stampings: the top cowl panel I, including about three quarters of the pillar cover 2 the side cowl panels 3 and the dash panel 4; First the stampings l--2 and the panels 3 are put in one or more jigs and flash welded together on the seams 4. This weld is ground down and smoothed oil in the customary way on the portions that will be exposed. The

garages dash and cowl panels are spot welded together in a well-known way. The underside of the cowl panels are covered with sound-deadening board or felted material 5,. (Figures 12 and 18) Windshield frame subassembly (minor subassembly) Referring to Figure 8, the windshield frame is down to the point a, a single stamping with prongs 6 struck in (Figure 18) to support a twisted paper tacking strip not shown. Lugs l, (Figures 6 and 7) are aiiorded by a strip 1a spot welded in the windshield pillar to support a tacking strip 3. This windshield frame (Figure 6) forms the windshield header 9, the upper windshield pillars Hi, the instrument board [2. The header has two rearward extensions H for supporting the roof channel rail and roof rail core. The upper windshield pillars ill have stub-like extensions I2, (Figure 8) and to these are gas welded at a, the lower windshield pillars l3.

To the inside flanges it of these lower pillars l3 are welded two trusses ii that connect between the pillars and the dash. These trusses are stamplngs that are punched out at the center and each have the dash flange l9 and the sill flange IT. The dash flange is turned under at its lower end and spot welded to its sill flange, (Figure 9).

Fnmt unit subassembly (major subassembly) The cowl shell can now be fitted into the front frame in a suitable jig and the shell spot welded to the upper and lower windshield pillar and the instrument panel as shown in Figures 18, 19 and 20. It will be noted that the pillar cover 2, (Figure '19) together with the upper pillar 'll, forms a complete enclosure. Two special welding tools with long arms are separately inserted in the top of the enclosed pillar and spot weld the pillar cover flange 2a. and pillar cover flange 2b to the web and the inner channel wall of the pillar Ill; The lower pillar i3, (Figure 20) is not enclosed. A special form of welding tool with a loop-like arm that can'reach around into the channel is used to spot weld the cowl flange 3a. The truss ['5 has already been spot welded. A special form of much spot welder welds the turned in flange of the top cowl panel to the top of the instrument panel at the windshield opening.

Turning to Figure 14, the two channel metal roof rails is are fastened to the header extensions II. By means of the extension strap 59 of the roof rail being lapped into the channel por- .tion (Figure 17) of the header extension and being welded as shown in Figure 17, the channel sidewalls of the roof rail abut the end of the header extension ii and are gas welded as at 20 thereto. This may be done at the same time that the lower pillar section is gas welded to the upper pillar section.

A reinforcing wooden rail 22, (Figure 16) is secured to the header by bolts Zl. This bolt screws into a stamped nut 23 which is secured to the rail by tacks. This completes the front subassembly except for the floor board'support 24 shown in Figure 22, which is brazed to the truss i5 and-a heavy L bracket 25, (Figures 18 and 22) which is riveted to the .dash and later can be bolted to the sill. There is also a companion angle bracket 26 located on the front 01'.

bolted to the sill.

Side rear quarter panels These side panels are designated 21 (Figs; 1 4

and 2) and are stamped out to provide the usual rear window opening, wheel housing I28 and rear pillar facing. They also form the sides of the trunk in Figures 1 and 2. In some of the sedan bodies, (Fig. 51) the side panels are first flashwelded at seams I50, to the rear panel to form a rear subassembly unit. The rear post cores 30 (Fig. 29) are fitted into the side panels before the panels are assembled into the body.

The top panel the top of the trunk. This top panel 28 has along the side at the rear, a flange 28b (Figures 1 and 29) which matches the flange 21a of the side panel and these two flanges are subsequently spot welded together. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the top panel has a protruding bead 280 that forms the eaves and the substitute for the drip molding. The top panel 28 then turns in, then down, forming the door stop 28d,

then again in forming the flange 28c which fits under the roof channel rail l8 and is spot welded thereto as hereinafter described.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that at the front the large top stamping 28 is provided with pillar cover stubs 28} that extend down about one-quarter of the length of the upper pillar along the Windshield opening. In

7 Figure 2, the beak-point 3! is not to be mistaken as a protuberance here but this is simply the sloping of the windshield frame toward the center to give the double tapered windshield.

The center pillar units D, Figure 1, comprise each the centerpillar cover 32 that flts over a wooden center pillar core 33 (Figures 33-34). A threshold strip 34 (Figure 35) is tacked to the wooden sill. A reinforcing plate 35 is secured by screws to the inside face of the wooden pillar :which in turn is secured to the sill by anchoring bracket 36 which spreads out over the sill when in place having three integral feet' that extend in as many directions. 31 is a head on the top of the threshold plate. The top of the center pillar D (Figure 31) is provided with an anchoring bracket in the form of'a pair of anchor strips 38 and 39 that are welded to the pillar cover and a reinforcing U bracket 4!! inside of the pil lar cover. This'bracket is reinforced in anchoring to the core 33 by screws 4| that pass to the top of the core.

. Under subassembly B (major subasseinbly) This is shown particularly in Figures 25-28. Side front sills 42, preferably of wood, are here shown. Cross bars of wood 43 and 44 are rabbetted to the sills or tongued' into the sill as shown in Figures 26 and 27, respectively. Large bolt openings 45 are provided to receive the heavy bolts that bolt the body to the chassis frame of the car (not shown). The kick-up sill is designated 46 (Fig. 25). This is a strip angular in cross section which flattens out as at the forward ends 41 (Fig. 28). A rear pillar bracket. 48 is spot welded tothis flattened portion (Fig. 28). The front floor pan 4!) and rear floor pan 50 are separate stem-pings. These two pans are secured by screws to the wooden side sills and wooden cross bars. The rear seat pan El and the rear compartment pan 52 are all one stamping and are spot welded to the bottom flange of the kickup. The kick-up is made up of two separate angle bars with the cross angle bar at the rear (Fig. 25) ,gas welded to form a U kick-up sill of angle cross section.

Fig. 37 shows how the rear floor pan 50 folds up to form a rear seat riser with short wooden cores 53 at the ends. The. riser is then flanged spot welded. The forward edge portion of the seat pan extends under the floor pan 54) ahead' of the riser 53 and is. spot welded to this pan. The rear compartment partition (Fig. 36) is a separate stamping that has a turned out flange at the front (Fig. 25) which enables it to be spot welded to the rear compartment pan 52 and the seat pan 5!. The ends are secured to the wheel housing by brazing as in Fig. 41. The upper portion of this partitionturns rearwardly and then upwardly forming a flange 54 which is secured by screws to the trim rail 55. This completes the sill, seat and floor unit or what we Set up assembly These several units are very rapidly assembled and welded together; A very large jig or buck (not shown) is provided for clampingand holding the parts in their proper relation. The two rear. quarter panels 21 (or in the case of the body of Fig. 51, the previously welded together side and rear panels) are clamped-in the rear portion of the jig as is also the narrow rear skirt panel F. Theunder unit is then wheeled into the jig on, .a small truck. Then the front unit A is brought into the front of the ,jig. These units are all clamped together by suitable clamps. At the same time, men inside of the jig and the body, grasp the top rear panel stamping 28 as it is handed. in at the rear of the jig. It is then carried forward over their heads, hand over hand,

until the windshield stub pillars 28f are approxi-- mately in registry with'the windshield pillar covers of the front A. The top is then clamped in place. The sound deadening material 58 covered with a suitable cement is spread onto the interior of the.metal top preferably before it is put into the set up buck. The threshold strip and center pillar are then-placed.

The thing to which we wish to call attention is that all the exposed welding that is'required to be done to join the panels together is the short seam across each pillar cover-only a few inches, and the short seam between the turned over flange of theside panel at the point In (Fig. 2) and the rear compartment opening at the point 111. (Fig. 2). In the form of body shown in' Fig. 51, the gas welds extend from k to n inthe rear window opening. From the point in forward is only a spot welding operation. The seam is concealed or masked under the drip molding substitute-the-bead 280. This welding is easily 8 welding is performed on the turned under flange 7 angle kick-up bar.

ice (Fig. 4) of the top M r and the roof rail channel. It must be remembwed so far none of the wooden parts are in except some of the trim strips, and the wooden cores in the center post and the rear post.

The jig or buck (not shown) is provided with suitable swinging slotted clamps that fit in over the seams at the pillar cover and in under and over the seams at the rear between I: and-m (Fig. 2) or la and 12 (Fig. 51). These fornigas welding clamps and three acetylene welders, one for the two front seams and one each for the rear seams l'c-m or Ice-n turn an easy-acetylene flame onto the joint. Each welder is provided with a welding wire that he feeds into the joint as the flame melts the material and heats the work. The rear welders also weld the short seams at 7' (Fig. 2) between the rear deck opening and the bottom of the body. Other operators with pneumatically driven drills bore openings through the wheel housing shell (see Figs. 2 and 5) and the Self-tapping screws l'a'll are then driven in which act as tacks to hold the parts together until the seam may be spot welded in a jig or buck hereinafter described under the last heading.

The woodwork After the body is rolled out of the final assembly buck and before it goes into the finishing jig just referred to, it is picked up by a conveyor chain and then starts slowly down aline where the woodwork is put in. First, the wooden roof rail cores 59 are set into the channel roof rails (Fig. 31). The bows 80 are then secured in place by the bolts 6|. These bows have struck out prongs 52 onto which the listing strips with wires carried on the head lining (not shown) can be impaled and hung. From the rear bow shown in Fig. 29 to the wooden window frame extend several (check Fig. 45) metal strips 63 with the struck out hooks $311 over which the listing strip and wire of the head lining (not shown) is hung. These strips are spot welded to the rear metal bow as shown in Fig. 44.

The rear wooden pillar core 39 (Fig. 39) has been placed in the side panel before the body was set up. It is fastened in at the top by screw bolts 64 which screw into the special form of nut shown in Fig. and designated 65. This nut is made of a soft metal so that it may be pounded down. over a corner. The same form of nut is.

I used for bolting the wooden roof rail core to the roof rail as shown in Fig. 39. The top bar of wooden rear quarter window frame (Fig. 39) is then placed and bolted to the wooden roof rail by a. similar arrangement and secured to the rear part by screws. The lower window frame bar and vertical rear bar (Fig. 39) are then inserted and secured by screws to the upper frame bar and the metal bracket 61 on the end of the lower bar is secured by screws to the rear post.

The way the wooden partsare installed in the rear of the body may be varied. One way that we like to use is to insert the shelf 12 and the wooden rear window frame (Figs. '29, and 46) as a subassembly. See particularly Figs. 42 and 43. The shelf is connected with the wooden rear window frame 18 by means of the braces 15. The

shelf (Fig. 46) has a cross bar II which extends across the body under the shelf. The cross bar, the shelf, the bracing strap 75, and the wooden rear window frame are all assembled by workmen at benches along the line of travel of the body. 'I'hissubassemblyistheninsertedinthebody out and the assembling of but spot welding is dilllcult totheblindlngllghtof and the turned in window stop flanges l1 (Figs. 42 and 43) are tacked to the wooden rear window frame.

with the lower part of the side window frame 66.

They hang down over the wheel housing and are gas welded to the wheel housing after the body is taken out of the final welding jig and goes up the line-on the conveyor for grinding the weld-' ing burrs ofi, filling the depressions in the seams with solder, and then grinding and smoothing the solder down 'fiush with the surrounding panels. At this same time also; the bracket I03 which is secured to the rear post is spot weldedto the wheel housing.

Finish welding After the wooden parts have been put in, the body goes into a finishing weld jig. This jig is built to support bus bars. tive bus bar is provided on aportable hanging welding fixture along the top of the'windshleld opening and where the fixture has been clamped in the windshield opening a. two point bar type welding tool is used to weld the turned in window stop flange 80 (Fig. 21) to the header bar 9 of the windshield frame. Bus bars are provided along the roof rail adjacent the windshield post and may also be used adjacent the center pillar for putting some finishing spots on the parts to insure the sound and rigid union. Along the bottom of the wheel housing, a, two point spot welder is used to weld the housing sheet to the metal kick-up sill. The channel deck opening frame 8| (Fig. 29) is spot welded to the flanges of the surrounding shell. This completes the A positive and negajob. Sound deadening felt 83 is cemented to the back along the window opening as shown in Figs. 45 and 46 and at any other place where it seems desirable.

We believe that novelty inheres in the laying the panels to produce a flush invisible jointed outer shell, which when finished is a. single integrated unit without any sign -of a, joint when viewed from the outside of the shell after the body has been painted and with the exposed weld lines of minimum length is new. 7

Flash welding, which is commonly practiced in welding thin sheet metal strips together, is only permissible when the parts are brought together in dies or fixtures of extreme accuracy. Given the tools, flash welding is very cheap, but obviously, it cannot be practiced in a setup buck where all the different parts are gathered together for-the reason that it is not permissible to get the necessary accuracy of lit and it would be rather hard to get thenecessary movement and burning away of the panels which is a neces sary concomitant of flash welding. It might perhaps be possible to lap weld some of the joints on thin sheets unless one can get an electrode in behind the work. This is not possible in welding the pillar cover stubs to the pillar covers. Arc welding is expensive and also rather impractical on a. final assembly jig where manymen are working due the arc. We, therefore,

prefer to me cry-acetylene welding. Any of 7 

